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NCJ Number:

208090

Title:

Impact of Racial Composition and Other County Characteristics on the Size of Sheriff's Departments: A New Analysis of Police Force Growth

This study examined the relationship between police force strength and minority population size.

Abstract:

While there has been much research directed at understanding the interaction between local law enforcement and the minority communities they serve, relatively little is known about whether minority population characteristics influence police force growth. The current study examined whether increases in minority populations across localities correspond with increases in the size of the police force in these localities, controlling for relevant variables such as crime rates, revenue, density, and other county characteristics. Data were drawn from the 1990 and 1993 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey for 122 United States counties. Dependent variables were measures of number of sworn sheriff’s deputies and number of total deputies. The principal independent variable was percentage of the county population that was Black. Results of regression analyses indicate that the number of sheriff’s deputies in a locality is not significantly related to the size of the minority population in that locality. The authors speculate that the size of sheriff’s departments may have more to do with specific characteristics of the county they are responsible for policing. Future research should focus on the impact that grant programs have on the size of the police force or budget and how these factors in turn affect arrest and crime rates in the area. Tables, appendix, notes, references

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